People's Democracy

(Weekly Organ of the Communist Party of India
(Marxist)

Vol. XXXV

No.
34

August
21,
2011

Huge
Kolkata Rally

Strongly
Protests Terror

From
Our
Special

Correspondent
in Kolkata

‘WE will not bow down to
Trinamool Congress
terror and the conspiracy of the West Bengal
government.’
This was the slogan of the huge ‘Vidhansabha Chalo’ rally at Rani Rashmoni Road,
Kolkata on August 12,
where the Left leadership called upon thousands of people gathered for
the
rally to prepare for a series of intensive struggles ahead. The Left
leadership
appealed for greater struggles protesting against post-election terror,
indiscriminate killing of Left workers throughout the state, fake cases
against
comrades, confiscation of property and incessant intimidation.

From this ‘March to
Assembly’ rally, the
Left Front submitted a deputation to the Governor detailing the above
incidents
committed by the Trinamool Congress and the dubious role of its
government in
this violence. The rally witnessed a huge gathering, despite incessant
rains.

Biman Basu, the state Left
Front chairman,
said that not only the Left workers but also common people in large
numbers are
being assaulted and intimidated both by the government and Trinamool
Congress. The
government is now attacking democratic and individual rights of common
people. We
must launch intensified programmes to protest against such terror and
anarchy.

CPI(M) Politburo member
Buddhadeb
Bhattacharjee calling for an immediate halt to the violence claimed
that the ‘reign
of terror’ had not stopped even for a day after the new government took
office.
“The government itself is engaged in perpetrating terror activities.
Instead of
taking action against the ‘Maoists’ the government is acting against
us. Thirty
comrades have so far been killed, houses have been looted and people
evicted
forcefully from their properties. Continuous intimidation is going on
in different
college campuses. Leaders and workers of the Left Front have been
arrested after
being implicated in false cases. Members of panchayats are being barred
to do
the mundane administrative jobs. Farmers are being prevented to till
their own
lands, Sharecroppers are being continuously thrown out of their lands
throughout the state.”

The former chief minister
accused the
government of not taking any steps against ‘Maoists’ in Jangal Mahal.
“The
reports show the serious regrouping of ‘Maoist’ forces in those areas.
They are
the real danger to the state. The government instead of taking any
concrete
step against them is hell bent upon to terrorise Left Front activists.
If the
situation does not improve, the Left will develop their own ways to
resist”, asserted Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.

The Left Front chairman
Biman Basu said
that the government is initiating a silent terror campaign in the
state. The
leader of the opposition has written to the government several times
but nothing
has been done so far to stop the violence. Basu also criticised the
UPA-II
government for the severe price rise of essential commodities. He said
the Trinamool Congress was a silent
supporter of
the economic fiasco being perpetrated in the country.

Other Left Front leaders,
including leader
of opposition in the state assembly, Suryakanta Misra addressed the
gathering.